Introverts have been changing the world for a long time, from Van Gogh to Charles Darwin to Steve Wozniak.

But revolutionary introverts don’t belong only to history. Quiet people innovate, inspire and educate us every day. Here are three inspiring introverts who made the news in 2012. Do you have others to add to the list?

1. Tim Cook. The famously charismatic Steve Jobs relied on introverts throughout his career. And when it came time to bequeath the company – his baby – to a new leader, he chose the quiet CEO, Tim Cook.

2. Yannick Agnel. The French swimmer won two gold medals in two days at the London Olympics, prompting Michael Phelps to call him “incredible” and the media to ask, “who is this phenom?” The 20-year-old describes himself as “quite an introvert” and was drawn to the isolation and thrill of swimming.

“In competition, I hear nothing once we start. Then I perceive only the sound of water. Sometimes I go in a trance, and when I touch, it’s like I woke up,” he told the Sunday Morning Herald.

I often hear from introverts who are drawn to solo sports, just like Agnel.

3. Meryl Streep. Her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher – a famous extrovert – in The Iron Lady earned her a third Oscar. And you couldn’t help but love her self-deprecating acceptance speech. “When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going, ‘Oh no, oh come on, why her again? You know? But – whatever!”

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Pre-order the paperback and receive a QUIET Celebration Kit!

With the start of 2013, I’m excited to announce that the paperback version of QUIET will go on sale January 29!

The softcover is full of bonus content, including a Reader’s Guide, a Recommended Reading List of Introverts in Literature, and resources such as Public Speaking for Introverts, Tips for Parents of an Introverted Child and Tips for Educators.

If you preorder the book between January 7 and January 28, I’ll send you a “Quiet Celebration Kit,” including a signed bookplate, a 2013 QUIET calendar and Quiet stickers.

You may have heard this from other authors you follow, but pre-orders are crucial to a book’s success. The more pre-orders, the more the media pays attention to the ideas in the book. So, if you like the idea of a QUIET Revolution and were planning to buy the paperback anyway … now would be a wonderful time to do it. Just order from your favorite online retailer, fill out this form when you’re done, and we’ll send you the kit. Many thanks!

2 Comments

In New Zealand you can pre-order from <a href="https://www.fishpond.co.nz/"Fishpond
In fact the UK edition is actually marked as shipping now, and it is slightly cheaper than the US edition which is marked as shipping 29th January.